Thomas william stainer



T. W. S. HUTCHINS.' MANUFACTURE OF CARBON BLOCKS. APPLICATXON nun OCT. :5, ma.

1,304,053. mm m 20, 1 19.

STATES PATENT OFFICE;

THOMAS WILLIAM STAINER HUTCHINS, OF, MIDDLEWIC H, ENGLAND.

MANUFACTURE OF CARBON BLOCKS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS WILLIAM STAINER HUTCHINS, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of Middlewich, Cheshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to the Manufacture of Carbon Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to the manufacture of carbon blocks for use in the chemical, metallurgical, electrical and like industries, its object being to provide means whereby blocks of low porosity structure can be produced.

Heretofore efiorts have been made to produce low porosity blocks by compressing the finely ground, material in hydraulic or other presses, but it is found in practice that the pressure is not equally distributed over the whole of the block, the part nearest the moving ram or plunger being pressed to a greater degree than the part more remote therefrom, owing to the binding of the material in a wedge-like manner against the walls of the cylinder or former, or to the material arching and protecting the portion which is remote from the ram or plunger, from the pressure exerted by the latter.

In accordance with my invention, I provide the cylinder or former, before or while the carbon is fed-therein, with a layer or covering of a finely powdered solid lubrieating material, with or without the addition of oil or fat as abinding medium, so that when the carbon granules are fed therein and pressure is applied thereto, the binding of the carbon upon the walls will be minimized and the whole body will be carried forward by the hydraulic ram or plunger until the carbon becomes of a nearly even solid non-porous structure.

I may provide means to protect the lubricating material while the carbon is fed into the cylinder, and such means may comprise, for example, a liner held in place within the cylinder at a short distance from the walls by distance pieces. As the cylinder is filled, the liner is gradually withdrawn.

The lubricating material consists of powdered graphite or may be of a viscous or semi-solid character such as a mixture of tallow or other greasy substance and p fi at iq e t rs Patent Patented Ma 20,1919.

Application filed October 15,

1918. Serial N0.258,243.

graphite and be applied by painting the walls of the former.

The cylinder or former may diverge or taper slightly toward one end (to facilitate the removal of the compressed block) where may be a porous bed placed at the bottom of the cylinder or former, to which an exhaust-pump or the like may be connected for the purpose of extracting the air from the granular material as it is fed into the cylinder or former previous to con'lpression.

The drawingillustrates two forms of device for use in insuring that the lubricant is distributed around the wall of the cylinder or former and that the carbon as it is being fed into the cylinder does not remove the lubricant from the wall.

In Figures 1 and 2, which are respectively sectional elevation and sectional plan on the line A B of Fig. 1, there is provided a hollow tubular element a which is maintained centrally within the cylinder 1) by distance pieces 0. The lubricant passes to the cylinder around the skirt of the element a while the carbon to be pressed into blocks is fed through the center of said element. The latter is withdrawn while the material is being fed into the cylinder and leaves the carbon with a ring or film of lubricant therearound.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a modified arrangement of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 3 being a sectional elevation, Fig. 4 an enlarged view of the hinged parts upon the element a, and Fig. 5 a detail View of one of the hinged elements. The element (4 in this case has its skirt composed of hinged tongues d pressed outward toward the cylinder wall by springs.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In the production of carbon blocks by the compression of the finely ground material in hydraulic or other presses, the prowithout the addition of oil or fat as a binding medium, so that when pressure is apphed to the carbon, binding of the same upon the Walls is minimized and the Whole in hydraulic or other presses, the Provision body will be carried forward by the rain or around the ground carbon as it is being fed plunger of the press until the carbon beinto the press of finely powdered solid lu bri- 10 comes of a nearly even non-porous structure, cating material, substantially as described.

5 substantially as described. In testimony whereof I have signed my 2. In the production of carbon blocks by name to this specification. the compression of finely ground material THOMAS WILLIAM STAINER HUTGHINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

